


reaching where I have been waiting years for you

by medusa20



Series: The Galveston Chronicles [10]
Category: Big Bang Theory
Genre: F/M, Kissing, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-12
Updated: 2011-10-12
Packaged: 2017-10-24 13:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/263757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/medusa20/pseuds/medusa20
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Penny's graduation day has arrived. Sheldon is home for the summer and the heat in Galveston pales in comparison to what burns between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	reaching where I have been waiting years for you

**Reaching where I have been waiting years for you __**

 _  
  
_

_….I will see you soon._

 _Yours,_

 _Sheldon_

Penny folds the letter and slips it back into its envelope then into the box with all the other letters from this past year.  She glances at the shelf in her room - two boxes sit on there, each one containing 365 letters from Sheldon while he was in Austin and then Germany.  She should have known he would take her command to write to her every day so literally.  Oh, she didn’t always get letters; sometimes, she got postcards, notes accompanied by trinkets that ranged from sweet (chocolates from Germany) to bizarre (a scan of his brain as a valentine), but she could count on some piece of mail awaiting her when she arrived home from school.  His letters were always clipped, precise, informative, and about as emotional as a public service announcement, yet she treasured every one.  Her friend Diane, who read one of Sheldon’s letters that Penny had left out when she was over one day, thought Penny was nuts.

 

“This is the guy you dumped Kurt for?”  Diane waved the yellow lined paper in the air.

 

“Give it back.” Penny snatched at the letter but Diane was reading it aloud.

 

“‘Quark in Germany does not refer to a concept in quantum physics but to a sort of cheese. It is made usually from skim milk and has the consistency of very thick yogurt. It is in fact made from non-processed cheese or curd. It does not have much taste and is used to make desserts such as cheesecakes.’  God, Penny, my panties are wet just from reading this.” Diane fanned herself with Sheldon’s letter.

 

“Shut up!” Penny laughed good-naturedly, taking her letter back and slipping it into the appropriate box.  “Sheldon is …well, Sheldon and, while his letters may be boring to...just about everyone, including me, the important thing is that he writes them.”

 

“All I know,” Diane lay on her side on Penny’s bed. “Is you could be out every weekend with one of the most popular guys in school instead of sitting at home reading about cheesecake made out of quacks.”

 

Penny smiled but Diane’s words stung.  She did miss the popularity, the parties and (if she was honest) it had been FOREVER since anyone kissed her but whenever her resolve wavered, she’d think back to that elaborate ruse Sheldon staged three years ago just to spend a few stolen moments in the woods with her.

 

“They’re quarks,” Penny gave Diane’s shoulder a friendly shove. “And if you paid attention in science you’d know they make up more than cheesecake. All of matter is made of quarks. In fact, there are six families…”

 

Diane hit her in the face with a pillow.

 

X

 

Penny places her graduation cap on her head and anchors it with bobby pins.  She really wanted to wear silver but was given a purple cap and gown instead.  She knew Sheldon would be at graduation since Missy was also graduating today, but she wanted to stand out in the sea of silver and purple - the school colors - so last night she carefully covered the top of her cap with a large picture of the Superman insignia.

 

“Penny!” Her mother yells from downstairs. “Hustle! Hustle!”

 

Penny takes one last look in the mirror, shoves an extra bobby pin into her hair and runs down the stairs.

 

X

 

Despite the air conditioning, the auditorium is stifling hot.  All those bodies just suck up what ever cool air manages to fall from the vents.  Penny stands behind Mark Larson and watches the sweat trail from under his cap and soak into the collar of his shirt.  The graduates have been lined up for an eternity now - boys are tugging at ties, girls lift one foot out of a high heel then the other, teachers mop their brows and look anxiously as they watched.  Finally someone shouts, “Just play the damn song, already!”  Laughter ripples down the line of graduates.  The two sets of double doors open and Penny catches the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance”

 

Twelve letters ahead of her, Missy Cooper turns back to give Penny the Vulcan hand sign.  Penny returns it with a smile.

 

Somewhere inside, Sheldon is waiting.

 

X

 

Penny feels like a salmon swimming upstream.  She found her parents easily enough and passed her diploma off to her mother without a backward glance.

 

“Hold on there, Slugger.” Wyatt grabbed her elbow in a tight grip, “Let’s take some pictures.”

 

“Oh, Wyatt, let her go,” Penny’s mother scolded.  “She’s been waiting three years for this.  We can take pictures back at the house.”

 

Penny flashed a grateful smile to her mother and dove into the crowd.

 

All around her are flashes, whoops of delight and, if one more person steps on her toe, she will have to start throwing punches.  Classmates pull her into pictures and Penny gives a beaming smile and escapes as soon as the camera goes off.  The crowd has ebbed so he should be easier to spot but she is standing on her toes and doesn’t catch sight of him.  She stands flat-footed and surveys the auditorium around her.

 

Movement at the back of the auditorium catches her eye. Missy has just released the person she was hugging.  Penny slowly begins to walk up the aisle.  Her steps quicken as she takes in the royal blue shirt over a yellow long sleeved one.  Missy sees her and taps her brother on the shoulder.  Sheldon turns and Penny is in his arms.

 

“Hi. Hi!” She cries, clutching him tighter with every breath. “Oh my God, hi-i-i!”

 

“Penny, please,” Sheldon is struggling against her grip.  “People are staring.”

 

“I don’t care.” She buries her face into the Superman logo on his chest then lifts her head. “Sheldon!  You wore your Superman shirt!”

 

A smile is twitching at the corner of his mouth, “How else were you to spot me in this crowd?”

 

“But I didn’t even see it!’ Penny wails.  “Did you see what I had on my cap?”

 

“I am not surprised by your failure to see my shirt,” Sheldon sighs.  “You always did lack attention to detail…”

 

“Will you two just smile, please?” Missy barks, putting an end to their bickering.  Penny is still holding Sheldon around the waist but Missy waits until his arm encircles Penny’s shoulders before she takes the picture.

 

They step away from each other almost immediately.  Mary Cooper grabs Penny in a tight embrace.

 

“Darlin’, I am so proud of you.  Congratulations.  Got the whole world before you now.”

 

Penny nods absently; her eyes won’t leave Sheldon.  He keeps looking at her, blushing then turning away but, invariably, his eyes come back to trace over her legs or to rest on the strawberry shine of her lips.  Mary Cooper stands between the two of them, following the path of her son’s vision.  Her mouth twitches in disproval.

 

“Sheldon, I’ll see you later, won’t I?”  Penny touches his arm lightly.  “At my party.” Penny prompts when he is clearly puzzled by her question.

 

“Of course,” Sheldon replies but Mary cuts in.

 

“Shelly, it’s Missy’s graduation day, too.  We’ve got a house full of relatives comin’ soon.”

 

Sheldon’s mouth opens then closes.  He looks helplessly at Penny who stares blatantly at him.  Penny’s parents have made it over to the group of Coopers.  Penny twines her hand with Sheldon’s; he runs his thumb in circles over the back of her hand but drops it when he sees Penny’s father deliberately watching them. 

 

“Hello Mary, Sheldon.”  Penny’s mother is all smiles as she takes them in.  “I can’t believe how this boy has grown!” She declares.

 

“I know,” Mary agrees. “I can’t keep him in shoes or pants.  It’s like his body is trying to catch up with his IQ.”

 

The two mothers share a laugh; Sheldon looks down at his feet and Penny snorts at his shoes before grabbing his hand again.

 

“Your father is glaring at me.” Sheldon whispers to her.  The words are lost on Penny.  All she registers is the feel of Sheldon’s warm breath on her skin, the feather -touch of his lips against her ear.  She turns quickly to capture them but he’s already pulled back.  He raises an eyebrow at her.  Penny’s mother begins to invite the Coopers to Penny’s party but Mary quickly puts an end to it, citing Missy’s party.

 

Missy, Junior, George and Meemaw have all exited the auditorium leaving Mary and Sheldon with Penny’s family.  Sheldon looks up as Junior appears in the double doors again and taps his wristwatch.

 

“Mom,” Sheldon interrupts Mary’s list of things to do that she is relaying to Penny’s mother.

 

“Land sakes!  Look at the time.”  Mary exclaims.  “Folks’ll be knockin’ down my door any minute and I’m standin’ here gabbing away. Let’s go, Sheldon.” Mary frowns openly at the sight of Sheldon and Penny’s joined hands. “Let’s go, Sheldon.” She tugs at his sleeve.

 

Sheldon begins to follow his mother.  He holds onto Penny for as long as possible.  Just as their hands are about to separate, he turns to look at her.  Penny takes in a sharp breath - his longing for her is as plain as the S on his chest.  She curls her pinky around his - a signal from their childhood.

 

 _Later_ , she mouths

 

His answer is a curt nod and they are apart once more.

 

X

 

Penny trails her hand around the trunk of the huge tree in the woods which separate their two houses; the same tree where they had shared their first kiss.  She glances at the sky.  Even though it is closer to eight, daylight savings time keeps the sky a muted blue tinged with orange.  Sheldon is late, a rarity with him.  Penny’s parents finally freed her from her family obligations and she tore off her graduation dress for jean shorts and a bright pink camisole before running to the woods.  Penny stops her endless circling to lean against the trunk.  Seeing Sheldon again today made her blood pound in her ears.  She never reacted to him like that before.  True, she loved his eyes and, since she was fourteen, had fought the urge to trace his lower lip with her finger but today was something else.  An almost magnetic pull.  Sheldon felt it, too.  He never accepted physical contact as easily as he did today and when he had his arm around her for the picture, Penny could feel him tremble.  What was different this time?

 

A snapping twig alerts her to his arrival.  Even though the woods are filled with the light from the setting sun, Sheldon carries a flashlight and his inevitable messenger bag.

 

“Hey, Sweetie.”  Penny’s voice is deeper, lilting

 

Sheldon leans next to her against the tree before reaching in to his messenger bag.

 

“This is for you.” He holds out a small white box.  Penny lifts off the lid; inside is a bracelet made of a metal Penny has never seen before.

 

“It’s called tungsten,” Sheldon explains as Penny wraps the silvery-black links around her wrist. “It’s the strongest metal and will always look new no matter how much abuse it takes. Of all metals in pure form, tungsten has the highest melting point, lowest vapor pressure and the highest tensile strength.[](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten#cite_note-desu-12#cite_note-desu-12)” He reaches out to fasten the clasp for her.

 

“It looks really cool.” Penny whispers. “Like water in moonlight.”  Their eyes meet and Penny feels the heat between them instantly. “Thank you.”

 

Sheldon leans in.  Penny crushes her mouth against his; her hand reaches up to tug at the hair at the base of his skull.  Sheldon’s hand wraps around her wrist and moves her hand to rest on his chest.  He pulls back from Penny’s onslaught but returns with his lips soft on hers.  He presses her against the tree and cradles her head with his hand.  Penny grips his arms to keep herself upright.

 

Sheldon’s mouth captures her lips again. She is aching for him to be more demanding but he is content with this slow, methodical re-acquaintance of the passion between them.  The tip of his tongue brushes against her lip and Penny deeps the kiss between them.  She flicks her tongue against his, inviting him to explore her mouth further.  Sheldon wraps his arms around her; Penny’s body molds to his and she groans.  His lips trail to the side of her neck.  Once he gets to just below her right ear, her knees give out.  They topple to the ground but Penny is on him instantly.  This time, it is Sheldon with his back against the trunk and his lap full of Penny.

 

“I missed you,” he pants before taking possession of her mouth again.  Penny rolls her hips against him and a mix of moan and snarl escapes his lips.  His teeth scrape against the side of her neck and Penny yelps in pleasure.

 

Sheldon keeps at her neck but his hand slides up the leg of her shorts.  Penny shifts so his hand can reach further but he stops at the line of her underwear.

 

“Sheldon,” she chides.  “No fair.”

 

Now, his tongue is outlining the shell of her ear and Penny’s nails are digging into his shoulders.  The metal of the bracelet offers a cool slide against her heated flesh contrasting with the fervor of Sheldon’s kisses. 

 

“God, Sheldon.”  Penny breathes and writhes against him more.  His hand moves from her thigh, running up her body to palm her breast over her shirt.  Her nipples harden with each stroke of his fingers.  Mouths, lips, and tongues tangle together; teeth graze and Penny can’t even distinguish between her hands and his anymore.  Sheldon begins to lean Penny toward the ground when a bird call breaks the silence.

 

Sheldon’s head jerks away; a low curse escapes his lips.

 

“What’s that?” Penny nips at his ear.

 

“Missy,” Sheldon replies. “Signaling me home, Mom thinks I am upstairs studying.”  She catches his grin in the moonlight.

 

“Sheldon Lee Cooper!” Penny cries in mock horror and affects a thick Texas twang. “You snuck out of the house and lied to your Momma?”

 

A tic in his left cheek is the only answer Penny needs.  “Well,” she climbs slowly off his lap. “You best be getting home then.”

 

Sheldon straightens up and brushes off his pants.  He presses his hands to his lower back and Penny hears a sickening crack.

 

“It’s sneaked by the way,” Sheldon corrects her.  Penny is about to answer when he pulls her to him once more, his lips hungry against hers.  The kiss goes on forever until Missy’s earsplitting call echoes twice through the trees.

 

“So, “Penny manages when they separate. “When are you leaving this time?”

 

“Oh yes,” Sheldon swings his messenger bag across his chest. “About that,  I meant to mention it earlier but I shall be here the whole summer.”

 

Penny’s eyes pop in surprise. The whole summer?  Sheldon hasn’t spent a whole summer here in four years.  He was always studying or pursuing another degree.  She realizes he is still talking.

 

“Of course, I can’t be idle. I have studying to do and a dissertation to develop but I should have sufficient time to….”

 

Penny cuts off his words with another searing kiss.  It is May now; September is eons away.

 


End file.
